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Mac Pro - 3,1, Stuck at Prohibitory Screen, advice?

A

Adamapple

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2012
47
4
So, Mac Pro, 3,1, been using Win 7 on the machine, and recently decided to switch back to OSX. I wanted HS, and followed this post (http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/) ... I did this back in the day with el capitan, all good. So my HD's are not SSD's, just WD, 1tb. I followed the directions, and reformated the HD (forgot to have GUID selected) ... the install failed. So, now when I try to boot to the USB, by holding option, it just goes directly to the prohibitory screen. I have tired resetting the pram, removing the small 2032 battery, unplugging computer, starting with command R, option command R, ... nothing works.

I'm going to replace the small battery today, see if that makes a difference. Otherwise I am lost.

Any advice???
 
Adamapple said:
So, Mac Pro, 3,1, been using Win 7 on the machine, and recently decided to switch back to OSX. I wanted HS, and followed this post (http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/) ... I did this back in the day with el capitan, all good. So my HD's are not SSD's, just WD, 1tb. I followed the directions, and reformated the HD (forgot to have GUID selected) ... the install failed. So, now when I try to boot to the USB, by holding option, it just goes directly to the prohibitory screen. I have tired resetting the pram, removing the small 2032 battery, unplugging computer, starting with command R, option command R, ... nothing works.

I'm going to replace the small battery today, see if that makes a difference. Otherwise I am lost.

Any advice???
Click to expand...

First, you Mac Pro GPU has EFI/boot screens? To have boot screens, to select the boot disk, you need the original Mac GPU or a PC card flashed with EFI.

You're using USB or BT keyboard? Change to a USB keyboard and turn on the Mac with Option pressed, if your GPU has EFI, you will have the boot selector screen.

I have a lot of problems trying to clear PRAM, sometimes getting the boot screen too, with the Apple Wireless Keyboard. I always have a USB keyboard on hand.
 
Last edited:
tsialex said:
First, you Mac Pro GPU has EFI/boot screens? To have boot screens, to select the boot disk, you need the original Mac GPU or a PC card flashed with EFI.

You're using USB or BT keyboard? Change to a USB keyboard and turn on the Mac with Option pressed, if your GPU has EFI, you will have the boot selector screen.

I have a lot of problems trying to clear PRAM, sometimes getting the boot screen too, with the Apple Wireless Keyboard. I always have a USB keyboard on hand.
Click to expand...

Yes, using a USB keyboard, the GPU is original Mac GPU. Just replaced the battery, I'll try again. Note:, there are no installations or partitions on any of the HD's ... so I'm trying to do a Fresh Install.
 
Adamapple said:
Yes, using a USB keyboard, the GPU is original Mac GPU. Just replaced the battery, I'll try again. Note:, there are no installations or partitions on any of the HD's ... so I'm trying to do a Fresh Install.
Click to expand...

Do you have your original installs DVDs? Install from them, with your Mac running will be a lot easier to install High Sierra.

Do you have another Mac? Download and try with El Capitan first. If you have it on your Mac App Store account, download from there. If not, download from Apple site: How to download OS X El Capitan.
 
No original CD's. I will do El Captian first, downloading on my Macbook Air now, TY!
 
Adamapple said:
No original CD's. I will do El Captian first, downloading on my Macbook Air now, TY!
Click to expand...
El Capitan is the last supported macOS on MP3,1, so you just install it.

You can create the usb-key with createinstallmedia on /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/.
 
Adamapple said:
Ok, so will HS work with that patch method??
Click to expand...
High Sierra works without problem with Nvidia GPUs. Apple updated AMD drivers with SSE4.2, that 2008 don't have.

What GPU you have? From factory: ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600.
 
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT

Then was hoping after install to pop in a 1050TI ....
 
So, I made a bootable USB for El Captian, however, when I try to boot to the USB (restart holiding option) ... it still goes straight to the Prohibitory screen. I'm thinking that the pram was not reset? I am using a win keyboard, and I believe I am doing it correct, but I don't hear the double chimes, etc.

Any ideas??
 

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Adamapple said:
So, I made a bootable USB for El Captian, however, when I try to boot to the USB (restart holiding option) ... it still goes straight to the Prohibitory screen. I'm thinking that the pram was not reset? I am using a win keyboard, and I believe I am doing it correct, but I don't hear the double chimes, etc.

Any ideas??
Click to expand...

Removing all disks from the Mac Pro, you can boot the El Capitan USB key? If so, you did not clear PRAM correctly.

Command = Win key
Option = Alt key
P
R
 
Will try that now, ty
[doublepost=1530913879][/doublepost]Was able to reset the SMC, holding power button down for 5 secs, but resetting the pram does not work. Still unable to boot to the usb, hmm ...
 
Adamapple said:
Will try that now, ty
[doublepost=1530913879][/doublepost]Was able to reset the SMC, holding power button down for 5 secs, but resetting the pram does not work. Still unable to boot to the usb, hmm ...
Click to expand...
Did you follow the instructions in the link I provided? Specifically:

You need to change the amount of RAM in the machine (either add memory or remove existing memory in the expansion slot), and IMMEDIATELY, i.e. the first time booting after changing the RAM, reset the PRAM three times in a row.​

I know this procedure works with a 1,1 Mac Pro (as I used it). I did have an Apple specific keyboard.
 
Yes, just followed the instructions in the link, nada. I'm using a Corsair, Gaming K70 keyboard, that's my thought right now ... might need to borrow an apple specific keyboard
 
Adamapple said:
Yes, just followed the instructions in the link, nada. I'm using a Corsair, Gaming K70 keyboard, that's my thought right now ... might need to borrow an apple specific keyboard
Click to expand...

It's somewhat tricky, you have to turn your Mac on and immediately press (and keep pressed until 2nd beep) Command-Option-P-R.

Some keyboards like Apple Wireless Keyboard are really terrible to do this, my go to keyboard on my home Mac Pro is a Microsoft Wired 600, works every time.

Did you tested without the disk that you tried to install High Sierra? Without any disks, you get the folder icon with question mark?
 
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Me again ... still having a problem. So, I was able to get el Captian installed on the HD. I switched to a Samsung SSD, and it immediately installed, no issues.

So the plan for the machine is to get Win 10 on it as well. I followed the instructions (video and article) using Bootcamp. So, when it came time to partition the drive, I did a even split. After that, it rebooted and now is stuck at the "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key, with a blinking cursor underneath" I was using a USB 2.0 stick for the install. So, again, I have tried everything, ... all the stuff listed above again ... nothing works. Stuck at this screen. Resetting PRAM does not work (can't get it to chime 3 times), I unplugged, removed the 2032 battery, I have tried holding down option, alt, etc. ... nothing. Stuck at this screen. Any help is appreciated.

Again the goal is to be able to have Win 10 on the machine as well as el cap. SSD, and 2 normal HD's are installed.
 
Adamapple said:
Me again ... still having a problem. So, I was able to get el Captian installed on the HD. I switched to a Samsung SSD, and it immediately installed, no issues.

So the plan for the machine is to get Win 10 on it as well. I followed the instructions (video and article) using Bootcamp. So, when it came time to partition the drive, I did a even split. After that, it rebooted and now is stuck at the "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key, with a blinking cursor underneath" I was using a USB 2.0 stick for the install. So, again, I have tried everything, ... all the stuff listed above again ... nothing works. Stuck at this screen. Resetting PRAM does not work (can't get it to chime 3 times), I unplugged, removed the 2032 battery, I have tried holding down option, alt, etc. ... nothing. Stuck at this screen. Any help is appreciated.

Again the goal is to be able to have Win 10 on the machine as well as el cap. SSD, and 2 normal HD's are installed.
Click to expand...
I didn't understand, you're trying to boot the windows installer pendrive on a Mac with DVD drive? No Mac with DVD drive can boot Windows USB installers, you have to burn the Windows ISO onto a DVD, then you can boot.

BTW, removing the battery only erases the clock, Macs doesn't store configuration on volatile memory like PCs. On Macs, all the configuration are stored on flash memory, the NVRAM/PRAM. To clear the configuration you have to clear the PRAM.
 
AHH!! TY, did not know that. Yes, using a USB stick to boot the windows installer. I do have the DVD drive, never thought of that! Ok, so, how would I get back to OSX or a place that I burn a disk? I'm just stuck at that "Black bootable screen," no matter what I have tried, TY so much for responding.
 
Adamapple said:
AHH!! TY, did not know that. Yes, using a USB stick to boot the windows installer. I do have the DVD drive, never thought of that! Ok, so, how would I get back to OSX or a place that I burn a disk? I'm just stuck at that "Black bootable screen," no matter what I have tried, TY so much for responding.
Click to expand...
Power on your Mac and press Option until you see the boot screen, select you macOS install.

On your Mac, download the Microsoft Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft site, then right click on it and select Burn.
 
Yes, I will do that. But, I can't get to OSX any longer, I'm stuck at that black screen still. Holding Alt, or Option, resetting PRAM, etc. does nothing.
 
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